Delight as Deeside firm reveals 100 jobs to be created

Henrob, based on Deeside Industrial Park, will create the new posts over the next 18 months after acquiring an additional manufacturing base.

The firm makes self-piercing rivets – a mechanical fastening process used in joining sheets of metal – and works with some of the world’s leading car manufacturers, including Daimler, Mercedes and Jaguar Land Rover.

It has bought a 150,000sq ft building next to its current 100,000sq ft base on the industrial park to support its growth.

It has already added 70 new roles over the past 12 months to bring UK staff numbers to 200 and it expects employee numbers to increase to 300 by the end of 2015.

Alyn and Deeside AM Carl Sargeant said: “This is great news for Deeside and Flintshire as a whole and shows confidence is being restored in our economy here in Wales. The Welsh Government is also continuing its commitment to support local businesses like Henrob to help them build on their success.

“Deeside’s strength and reputation as an international business hub is ever increasing and I hope more firms will follow the example of those that have chosen to make Flintshire their base.”

Henrob has experienced rapid growth in recent years and turnover grew from £23 million in 2012 to £42 million last year.

It is targeting a turnover of around £50 million this year.

The company’s new building is currently used as a warehouse, and a £5.2 million finance package from HSBC secured by the firm will help with the costs of converting it to a manufacturing facility.

Henrob’s finance director Philip Whitehead said: “This is a major investment by the company but one we feel is necessary to support our business growth.

“We are constrained by our existing base, so the additional facility gives us the manufacturing capacity to meet our customers’ current and future needs.

“We have grown rapidly in recent years and we are experiencing strong global demand, so we expect that growth to continue.

“The expansion also benefits the local economy and we are creating 100 new jobs over the next 18 months in a wide number of fields.”

The business, which has operations in Germany, the US and Australia, works primarily with the automotive sector, although its products are also used within other sectors such as air conditioning and road sign manufacturing.